Exercising apparatus for calf muscle stretching

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an exercising apparatus for stretching of the calf muscle, comprising a foot support arranged with an inclination (α). On one side on the foot support a bar extends in a vertical direction and is rotatably arranged in a joint on the foot support. The bar comprises a handle part and a supporting part. The supporting part extends at least around a part of the calf, where stretching of a calf muscle on the user can be achieved by moving the bar forward towards a first part of the foot support while a heel part of the user is secured at the foot support.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an exercising apparatus for calf muscle stretching.

BACKGROUND

During exercise, keep-fit activities and rehabilitation, it is common that the person exercising carry out so called stretching, for stretching of different groups of muscles like, inter alia the calf muscle. The calf muscle consists of two parts: the twin muscle (gastrocnemius) with its two projections from the back side of the condyles of the thigh bone and the soleus muscle, a flat muscle on the back side on the fibula. The muscle parts join in the Achilles tendon that attach at the heel bone (calcaneus). For stretching of the calf muscles, a usual exercise is to place the leg to be stretched in a direction behind the body as far back as possible, with the heel in contact with the underlying surface. The other leg is suitably placed a distance ahead of the body. Either the person leans against the wall or the like, or tries to balance with the hands around the waist of the body. The stretching of the calf muscle is activated by forcing the foot blade against the underlying surface a few seconds, in order then to slowly bend forward in the ankle joint such that the calf muscle is stretched. With the knee straight, the gastrocnemius muscle is stretched and with the knee bent the soleus muscle is stretched. Shortened calf muscles may result in that the foot decides to take a position with the toes pointing downwards. This may give inconveniences such as periostitis, Compartment syndrome, difficulties to descend stairs in a usual way, and also weakness in the shortened musculature. The problem related to stretching of gastrocnemius and soleus is that unstressing is difficult since the muscle must be balanced, stressed and relaxed. It is also difficult to find the correct stretching movement.

An exercise for stretching of the calf muscle as has been described above may thus be difficult or even impossible to perform correctly alone without facilities, for instance for unskilled exercisers or persons that are during rehabilitation training, and therefore there is a need for facilitating the stretching of the calf muscle.

Various means for facilitating the stretching of the calf muscle are known. In common for those known apparatus is that they are either relatively complicated or that they are not working satisfactory in a desired way.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,611,770 discloses an aid for the stretching of the calf muscle for patients during rehabilitation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an aid for stretching of muscle groups of the calf that at least partially eliminates those drawbacks that are associated with devices according to the prior art. A further object is to achieve an aid for stretching of the calf muscle that may provide sufficient power during the stretching, for efficient stretching of the calf muscle. An additional object is to provide equipment for calf muscle stretching that is simple to use and prevents the risk for incorrect stretching of the calf muscle.

This object is achieved by an exercising apparatus for the calf muscle stretching of a leg of a user comprising a foot support having an upper side for supporting the foot of the user and a lower side intended to be arranged on an underlying surface, where the upper side is arranged with an inclination compared to the lower side such that a first part of the foot support, for supporting a toe part of the foot, is arranged at a distance from the underlying surface, and where the foot support has attachment means at a second part of the foot support for securing a heel part of the foot. On one side of the foot support, at the second part of the foot support, a bar extending in the vertical direction is arranged in a joint, the bar is rotatably arranged to the foot support in said joint. The bar comprises a handle part and a supporting part, which supporting part is arranged between the handle part and the joint, which supporting part is intended as support for the calf of the user. The supporting part extends at least around a part of the calf, where a stretching of the calf muscle of the user may be provided by bringing the bar during rotation in the joint in a direction against said first part of the foot support while the heel part of the user is secured at the foot support and the calf is supported by the supporting part and brought in the rotational direction, such that a sufficient stretching of the calf muscle is achieved.

An advantage of this solution is that stretching of the calf muscle may be performed in a correct way such that the stretching becomes sufficiently effective and powerfully performed. Another advantage is that stretching may be performed in a safe and reliable way, such that the risk for injuries may be avoided. Yet another advantage is that the present invention eliminates the need for an instructor for correct performance of the stretching. The exercising apparatus according to the present invention is further more user-friendly. Stretching of the calf muscle may be performed with straight or bent knee and it is also possible to lean the foot sideways on the foot support, for stretching different muscles of the calf. Since the foot board is inclined relative to the underlying surface, the user may stand steadily with support of the foot placed on the upper side of the foot support and additionally the user does not need to lean the leg as far forward, during the stretching of the calf muscle, during the use of the exercising apparatus, which makes the stretching of the exercising apparatus according to the present invention user-friendly, safe and efficient. With the apparatus according to the present invention, the calf muscle may be stretched in a relaxed state without having stresses in the other muscles, so called antagonists, influencing the stretching ability. It is also possible to keep the stretching position a longer time, since other muscles are not strained.

Further advantages and features according to embodiments of the invention are evident from the claims, and also in the following description of the embodiments.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will now be described more in detail in embodiments, with reference to the attached drawings, without a limited interpretation of the invention to those, where FIG. 1A is a perspective view slantingly from the front showing an exercising apparatus according to the present invention, and

FIG. 1B is a view straight from the back showing the exercising apparatus according to FIG. 1A.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In FIGS. 1A and 1B there is shown an embodiment of an exercising apparatus 2 for calf muscle stretching of a leg of a user, according to the present invention. The exercising apparatus 2 comprises a foot support 4 having an upper side 6 for supporting of the foot of the user and a lower side 8 intended to be arranged against an underlying surface 10. According to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A-1B, the foot support 4 is designed with an elevated part 11, that comprises the inclined upper side 6, and two protruding flat side parts 11′ that are extending on each side of the middle part 11. This design has been achieved by bending of sheet metal. Of course, the foot support may be designed and produced in another way, for example by molding in one piece. The upper side 6 is arranged with an inclination α relative to the lower side 8 such that the first part 12 of the foot support, for supporting of a toe part of the foot, is arranged with a distance D from the underlying surface. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the inclination of the upper side of the foot support relative to the underlying surface, and with that the distance D, can not be adjusted. Of course, it is within the scope of the protection of the present invention that the upper side may be adjustably arranged at the foot support such that the inclination α and the distance D relative to the underlying surface may be adjusted. The foot support 4 has attachment means 14 at a second part 15 of the foot support for securing a heel part of the foot. Attachment means 14 may be in form of a strap (not shown) or the like that is arranged at the foot support 4, or a {umlaut over (υ)}-shaped clamp 16 securely arranged at the foot support, as is evident in FIGS. 1A and 1B.

At a long side 18 of the foot support 4, at the mentioned second part 15 of the foot support, suitably in close connection to a foot joint of the user when the foot is placed on the foot support, a bar 22 is arranged in a joint 20 extending in a vertical direction. The bar 22 is rotatably arranged to the foot support 4 in said joint 20. The bar 22 comprises a handle part 23 and a support part 24 intended for supporting the calf of the user. The supporting part 24 is arranged between the handle part 23 and the joint 20. The bar 22 has suitably a straight longitudinal extension, preferably vertical, in a first part 26 that extends from the joint 20 up to the supporting part 24, which constitutes a second part 28 of the bar 22. The supporting part 24 is designed such that it extends at least around a part of the calf. As is evident from the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the bar may be in the shape of a round pole, that in the middle in the second part 28 has been designed with a partly helically bending 29. If the bar 22 is viewed in an elevated view straight from above or from below, that is seen perpendicular against the horizontal plane, the bending presents a semicircular form or a U-shape, form fitted after the shape of a calf. From a viewpoint of comfort and for adapting of different sizes of calves, the supporting part may suitably be provided with a soft non-rigid material. The handle part may suitably have a straight longitudinal extension, essentially vertical, in a third part 30 of the bar that extends from the connection to the supporting part 24. As is evident in the shown embodiment in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the bar 22 is designed such that the bar extends in the first part 26 along a side of the leg of a user and that the third part 30 comprising the handle part, extends at least along a part of the opposite other side of the leg of the user, when a user of the exercising apparatus has placed the foot on the foot support 4 and the calf of its leg in contact with the supporting part 24.

According to a second alternative embodiment (not shown), a second bar may be rotatably arranged in a joint at a second long side 18′ of the foot support 4, opposite the first long side 18, which second bar is arranged to the supporting part 24. According to this second embodiment, the exercising apparatus may then be shaped such that the two bars extend essentially vertically on each long side of the foot support and where the supporting part 24 is arranged between the bars.

According to a preferred embodiment, the exercising apparatus according to the present invention comprises a stop member 32 that is arranged such that the bar may be brought sufficiently far forward for achieving a correct and powerful stretching, at the same time as it prevents the bar from being brought forward too far, to prevent occurrence of injuries due to incorrect use. Preferably the stop member 32 is adjustably arranged to the bar such that the desired movement of the bar in a direction R1 towards said first part 12 of the foot support may be set to a desired degree. Suitably the stop member 32, for instance in the form of a threaded pin, may be releasably and adjustably arranged to a disk-shaped plate 34, which plate is vertically arranged around the joint at the side of the foot support 4. The bar 22 may rotate along the disk-shaped plate, which has indications of the inclination in degrees, which the bar may rotate from the initial position at a substantially vertical extension. The stop member 32 may be secured at a desired inclination in degrees to a position where the bar 22 shall be brought forward maximally. The bar may comprise two arms 36 that form a U-shaped part in its end against the joint, which free ends 38 of the arms are arranged in the joint 20, respectively. In the U-shaped part, between the arms, the disk-shaped plate 34 is arranged.

The upper side 6 of the foot support 4 is suitably also sufficiently wide such that the foot can be leaned sideways, inwards or outwards, in order to be able to determine the stretching effect on the inside or the outside of the calf musculature when the knee joint is bent or extended. It is also possible according to a non-shown embodiment that the upper side β is adjustably arranged at the foot support for setting the inclination sideways.

A suitable total height for the exercising apparatus, from the underlying surface up to the end of the handle part of the bar, may be about 100 cm and a suitable height up to the connection of the handle part at the supporting part 24 can be about 45 cm. The first 26, the second 28 and the third 30 part of the bar 22 may suitably be mutually adjustable in the longitudinal extension. The distance D of the foot support 4 may suitably be 7-8 cm. Of course, the present invention is not limited to those dimensions mentioned above.

A stretching of a user's calf muscle, by straight or bent knee for stretching of the muscle gastrocnemius or the muscle soleus of the calf, may be achieved by bringing the bar 22 in a direction R1 towards said first part 12 of the foot support, during rotation in the joint 20, while the heel part of the user is secured at the foot support 4 and the calf is supported by the supporting part 24 and brought in the rotational direction R1, such that a sufficient stretching of the calf muscle can be provided. 

1. (canceled)
 2. The exercising apparatus according to claim 11, in which the calf support part of the bar is formed as a substantially a helically-shaped bend in the bar.
 3. The exercising apparatus according to claim 2, in which the helically-shaped bend appears substantially semicircular as viewed from the direction of vertical extent of the bar.
 4. The exercising apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a stop member limiting the forward rotational motion of the bar.
 5. The exercising apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the stop member is a adjustably arranged on the bar, such as to set a desired degree of forward rotational movement of the bar.
 6. The exercising apparatus according to claim 4, in which the stop member is arranged as part of a disk shaped plate, which plate is vertically arranged around the joint and to one side of the upper part of the foot support.
 7. The exercising apparatus according to claim 6, in which a lower connecting end of the bar has arms (36) that extend on either side of and are rotatably journaled in the disk-shaped plate.
 8. (canceled)
 9. The exercising apparatus as in claim 11, in which the bar extends across the back of the leg of the user, from one side to the other, during use.
 10. The exercising apparatus according to claim 11, in which: the bar is a first bar, further comprising a second bar that is rotatably connected to the foot support and extends substantially vertically, on the opposite side of the user's leg than does the first bar; and the calf support is arranged between the bars.
 11. An exercising apparatus for stretching of the calf muscle of a leg of a user, comprising: a foot support that has: an upper part for supporting a foot of the user such that the heel of the foot of the user is positioned at a rear portion of the foot support and the toes of the foot of the user are positioned at a forward portion of the foot support; a heel support positioning and supporting the heel of the user at the rear portion of the foot support; and a lower part intended to be positioned on an underlying base, the upper and lower parts of the foot support being connected at a rearward side of the foot support; and a bar, which has a handle part and a calf support part and that is rotatably connected to the foot support by a joint at the rearward side and extends substantially vertically upward; in which: the upper part of the foot support inclines upward relative to the lower part from the rearward side, such that the toes of the user are positioned higher than the heel relative to the lower part; when in use, the calf support contacts and supports the calf of the user from behind; and as the bar is rotated forward, the user's calf is pressed forward, thereby stretching the calf muscle of the user. 